Social media is one of the leading forces of building awareness for your brand. It not only creates more exposure for your products or services, but, more importantly, it also allows you to listen to your customers and engage with them in a meaningful way. Before you engage with your customers on social media channels, you need to understand them first.

Have you ever looked at a person and your first thought was, “I wonder if they are a great conversationalist?” My guess is no. Rarely do we ever see a visual and immediately assess the worth of its content. We will assume, (albeit however dangerous) that you have a viable business concept. I will also assume that once your company is up, that you will want a website and/or native app so that people can find you. The point of these items is to create something that will be visually enticing. For a new company, your messaging will change. However, no one will see your new content if you haven’t first captured their eye.

https://i0.wp.com/www.newwestagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/UserInterface.jpg?fit=1152%2C6486481152New Westhttp://newwest.prjdev.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/New-West-Logo-Red.pngNew West2016-03-31 19:54:592016-07-22 15:39:34Why User Interface Is More Important Than Content For New Companies

Millennials are frequently featured in news headlines and seem to be the target of many marketing campaigns. While this group—defined by birth years between the early 1980s and early 2000s—is an interesting group to study, advertisers cannot lose sight of another important group—Baby Boomers. These Boomers, born in the roughly 20 year period following World War II, make up 28% of the population and are vitally important to our economy. Currently, Baby Boomers annual spending is $2.3 trillion and 70% of this is discretionary income. Advertisers would do well to acknowledge that baby boomers are tech savvy and curious by nature. Advertisers can take advantage of this by targeting Baby Boomers through not only traditional media but also through various digital platforms.

Advertising to Millennials, the generation born between 1980s and early 2000, is not the same as advertising to Baby Boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964. According to recent studies, Millennials seek out brands that support and align with their values. In addition, Millennials also want to create a personal connection with the brand. Nike, for example, is known around the globe; and its message, “Just Do It,” is universal, making the brand relatable to everyone. So, it’s natural to see so many Millennials drawn to Nike’s products.

The year is flying by here at New West! First, there was the Super Bowl, and now we’re headed into March Madness! Both the Super Bowl and March Madness create a lot of buzz this time of year; but how is this buzz created? Well, since the Super Bowl has come and gone, let’s talk March Madness!

Customers are often referred to as an investment that keeps any business foundation strong. Often times we forget how important customers are and how crucial it is for business to show appreciation towards them. The style of appreciation does not need to be costly; on the contrary, it should be a gift that resonates with your particular audience; remember, this is not about you, it’s about your customer.

After years of celebrating Black History Week and pressing for more observance of the contributions African Americans have made to history, and in celebration of our bicentennial in 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month. While this was a major step towards equality, it is also a glaring indictment on American culture and the lack of sensitivity to people of color. How many other months for people of color or origin are needed before the textbooks accurately depict our history and the many contributions that people from all walks of life from every part of the world, have made?

Why is graphic design so important? I asked myself that same question while sitting in my office. I thought about it for nearly ten minutes and I had the bright idea of asking every employee at New West. Here’s what a few of them said:Read more

2014 has been referred to by several media outlets as “the year of the #hashtag.” The hashtag originated through Twitter, but its use has expanded to include multiple social media platforms. Since its introduction, the hashtag has become an instrumental piece for social activism movements that may have otherwise been lost in all the clutter of the daily news. The Occupy Wall Street protests provided a good example of this in 2011 – by creating a hashtag, groups in cities across the country were able to organize and protest as part of the larger movement. We’ve seen this trend grow exponentially throughout the last few years, particularly with the addition of Twitter’s “trending topics.”

https://i2.wp.com/www.newwestagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Untitled-2.jpg?fit=1152%2C6486481152New Westhttp://newwest.prjdev.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/New-West-Logo-Red.pngNew West2015-01-13 17:46:492017-01-10 19:03:07The Year of the #Hashtag

Proactively developing a public relations strategy for your organization can pay dividends in building the right relationships over time. Good PR practices are not developed as “quick fixes” but rather to create long-term benefits to support your brand and complement your marketing plans. Here are a few questions to consider when crafting a strategy: